Funding Database: Brownfields Assessment

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding to inventory, characterize, assess and conduct a range of planning activities. Recipients can also develop site-specific cleanup plans and conduct community engagement related to brownfield sites. The program offers three application types to serve different applicants. These include:

• Community-wide Assessment Grants – appropriate for communities that are beginning to address their brownfield challenges, as well as for communities that have ongoing efforts to bring sites into productive reuse
• Assessment Coalition Grants – designed for one “lead” eligible entity to partner with two to four eligible entities that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage their own EPA cooperative agreement, and otherwise would not have access to Brownfields Grant resources
• Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes – designed to assist disadvantaged communities that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage their own brownfields grant 

Brownfield revitalization can support community efforts to become more resilient to climate change impacts by incorporating adaptation and mitigation strategies throughout the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment process. 

The Brownfields Assessment Grants are part of EPA’s Brownfields Program.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for the Community-wide Assessment Grant include:

• Local governments
• Regional councils of governments
• Redevelopment agencies
• State governments
• Federally recognized tribes
• Nonprofits
• Limited liability corporations and limited liability partnerships in which all managing members are nonprofits
• Qualified community development entities 

Eligible applicants for the Assessment Coalition Grant include:

• Local governments
• Regional councils of governments
• State governments
• Federally recognized tribal governments 

Eligible applicants for the Community-wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes include:

• State governments
• Federally recognized tribes 

Read more about entitles eligible to receive brownfields grants.

Eligible Projects

EPA updates funding use guidelines each year. Refer to the list of solicitations to see the current and past opportunity descriptions. The fiscal year 2024 Brownfield Assessment Grant guidelines stated that funds could be used for the direct costs associated with the inventory, site prioritization, community involvement, site reuse planning, assessment and cleanup planning for brownfield sites. 

EPA posts specific planning activities eligible for funding and resources for plan development on the Eligible Planning Activities webpage. 

Recipients may use a portion of a Brownfields Assessment Grant for eligible participant support costs associated with one community liaison per target area who is not an employee of the recipient. This may include reasonable stipends to compensate an individual community member’s time and travel costs for participating in project-related meetings and time associated with other specific tasks that are directly tied to related community engagement efforts.

Funding Amount

• Community-wide Assessment Grant applicants may request up to $500,000. The period of performance is up to four years.
• Assessment Coalition Grant applicants may request up to $1.5 million. The period of performance is up to four years.
• Community-wide Assessment Grant applicants may request up to $2 million. The period of performance is up to five years.

Match Requirements

None.

Application Schedule

EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants run on an annual cycle, with grants typically closing in November.

Application Process

Applicants submit Brownfields Assessment Grant applications through grants.gov. Grant guidelines, applications, closing dates and general resources are available on the Grant Application Resources page. 

EPA recommends that applicants provide specific examples of how the proposed project will address climate vulnerabilities.

Application Assistance

If resources permit, EPA regions may conduct open meetings with potential applicants. Otherwise, EPA staff can offer limited support for questions about threshold criteria, site eligibility and site ownership. Check with your regional office for more information. The EPA Region 4 representative is Sara Janovitz. 

View additional application resources.

Funding Source

EPA provides this funding through congressional appropriations.